Content management systems by
Bright Blue Creative
  Link to the ISP home page  
     
 
     
 
 
 
 
Search this site
Site map
 
     
Main menu
Test messaging campign connects with national bar chain's customers
Edit this content
National Bar chain Yates’s has linked up with mobile marketing company Interlinked Media to implement a new marketing strategy for communicating with their customers in order to increase business.

The credit crunch is hitting people’s pockets and one of the first things to be cut back is leisure spending. Competition for customers is hitting hard in all markets, none more so than the bar industry, which is why bars and clubs are looking for new ways to ensure their customers continue to return to their venues – the problem is how to keep in touch with customers.

Text messaging is now becoming the preferred medium. Although email is cheaper customers and systems filters are now very good at disposing of marketing communications and it is dependent upon the customer accessing the internet. Other non-targeted mediums are expensive and response rates are low.

Mobile phones are the constant companions of almost all of the population thus enabling companies to communicate their message directly at the most appropriate time.

A recent campaign provided by Interlinked Media targeted at building Yates’s  initial database of customer mobile contact numbers achieved great success. The initiative was well received by customers resulting in a 15,000 customer database being created.

Using this database, venue managers will now be able to drive footfall to their venues and increase bottom line figures via a simple, easy to use text messaging platform provided by Interlinked Media. 

During the campaign, which was operated in 40 Yates’s venues in the south of England, customers were invited to text a keyword SHOT or YATES to the shortcode 60777 in order to get a free shot when in the bar. Customers were able to enter this promotion once a day during the campaign.

In order to establish location of texters and therefore be able to assign them to the specific venues, each bar was given a specific code and this was added to the keyword when texting. For example SHOT 51 or YATES 63.

The campaign was promoted using advertising on T-shirts, video and point-of-sale flyers. Additionally venues were offered an incentive of £500 in High Street Gift Vouchers for the bar with the most sign ups during the campaign.

This led to several bars using their own initiative and providing additional marketing such as large 48ft PVC banners/hoardings on the outside of their venues, printing additional POS advertising material such as flyers and business cards as well as providing information in languages such as Polish.

Making this campaign really work well though was down to a close relationship between Interlinked Media, the local venue managers and the marketing and operational team at Town and City Pub Company (TCP), the owners of Yates’s.

Interlinked Media not only provided the technical expertise and support but also with the experience learnt from previous similar promotions with other operators and regions, were able to advise on how best to push this activity to both the customer and client.

Rob Pitcher, operations director for TCP South Division, commented: “We were delighted by the response levels during this texting campaign. I am confident that using text and mobile will help us increase not only bottom line but also help build our brand awareness to our target audience.”

Colin Stewart, UK account director for Interlinked Media, said: “We are very pleased to be selected by TCP to provide their mobile messaging services. TCP are very forward thinking and are now starting to take a leisure industry lead in digital marketing.

“Mobile messaging is a fantastic marketing tool which is increasingly being successfully integrated into many companies’ marketing strategies. However care needs to be taken as there are regulations such as opt out and data protection which need to be considered, which is why it is important to use an established and experienced company like Interlinked Media to enhance your marketing as well as protecting your company’s reputation.”

November 3, 2008
Edit this content
Add content here
 
Member news
ISP member news
Read about the latest account wins, campaigns, products, services and other news.
Find out more
ISP KnowledgeShare
A new, complimentary training initiative from the ISP.
Click here
The ISP Seal
A new consumer-facing accreditation scheme
More info